Thief in the garden

I was sitting in the car after arriving home today watching the action in the rookery, especially one pair who were standing together on their nest canoodling shamelessly, rubbing beaks, flirting wings, the lot. Suddenly one flew off, leaving its mate looking a bit put out, and staring after it.

The “deserter” landed on a neighbouring nest and I thought at first he might be a bigamist, running two households. He was obviously very busy doing something to the nest in a very determined fashion

Suddenly he emerged holding a big clump of moss which he’d stolen from the nest, flew back to his mate and presented it to her for their own nest! Goodness knows what the owners of the second nest thought when they returned to find half their lining had disappeared!

I felt sorry for the victim too Bloomer. She didn't seem to object at all Ojibway - she obviously know which side her bread is buttered.
Well Gattina. if all they have is pebbles You can understand any desperate attempt to improve matters!

A lot of animals cheat by stealing other animals' efforts - I suppose if it helps the survival of the thief's genes, it's worth trying. This is "survival of the fittest" - more "thief" genes will be passed on until every member of the group has those genes, and then I suppose things will grind to a stop as every member will be aware of the risk and stand guard to prevent such behavour

lol nature don't care much, so long as the best genes survive - and "the best genes" are defined as "the ones that survive". Don't think it applies to humans, though; we're "advanced" enough to take ourselves out of the loop of natural selection.

It certainly does, Fran - HOW much was Facebook valued at the other day? $400 billion? And he graduated from medical school a day or so before, THEN he went off and got married. Does the geek never rest?